Fernando Alonso will not participate in the first free practice of the 2026 Belgian GP, which is scheduled for next Friday (17). Aston Martin has decided to field its reserve and third official driver, Jak Crawford, to take command of the AMR26 during the initial session of the weekend.
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Participation at Spa-Francorchamps will be the third time Crawford will compete in a FP1 for the team this season. The young driver had already been used by Aston Martin in the opening free practices of the Japanese and Austrian GPs.
The change is part of the Formula 1 rule that requires all teams to use a rookie driver in four free practice sessions throughout the championship. As such, Aston Martin is still expected to call on Crawford for one more opportunity before the end of the 2026 season.
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For Alonso, the Belgian free practice will mark the last time this year that his car will be handed over to a rookie driver. The two-time world champion had already given up his place earlier in Japan, at Suzuka.
The situation will also impact Lance Stroll. The Canadian, who recently missed the FP1 of the Austrian GP to make way for Crawford, is still expected to miss a second free practice session at another point in the season so that the team complies with the regulatory requirement.
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